


Max Headroom: Cub

by ElegantButler



Category: Max Headroom (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cub reporter, Drama, Gen, reporter Bryce
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-21 07:45:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12452811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantButler/pseuds/ElegantButler
Summary: Bryce gets a taste of being a reporter while testing a new camera for Network 23... and he likes it. Pity Edison Carter's team is a bit overprotective.





	1. Chapter 1

MAX HEADROOM:  
20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE  
“CUB”

(Disclaimer: Max Headroom and his colleagues are the property of Max's current owners, who are not me.)

-CHAPTER ONE-

Theora Jones walked into the cramped Control Room at Network 23. As she headed to her chair, she noticed one of the Controllers sitting anxiously at the computer across from hers.  
"What've you got?" Theora asked.  
"Bureau Burner," the other Controller replied.  
"That's an extremely clear picture, Theora praised. "Well done."  
"I don't deserve the credit," the Controller told Theora. "It's the vidicam, not the computer. He wanted to make sure it could send a good picture from a distance before he gave it to Edison."  
"Who did?" Theora wanted to know.  
"Bryce Lynch."  
Theora hurried over to her own computer and linked to Edison's vidicam.  
"Edison, we've found the Bureau Burner."  
"Yeah, I was watching. Nice picture."  
"I want you to get down there. Bryce is on it, but I want you to take over before he gets hurt."  
"Bryce?" Edison asked in surprise. "What's he thinking taking on someone like that?"  
"Apparently he was testing a new vidicam when he spotted the 'Burner and decided to go after him." Theora replied.  
“Who’s his Controller?” Edison asked, knowing that Theora would’ve dragged Bryce back in at the first sign of danger.

“Andrew,” Theora told him.  
"Get Martinez over here," Edison instructed. “And transfer him to your computer until we get there. I don’t want Bryce out there with some neophyte controller watching over him.  
Bryce stopped as the Bureau Burner turned to confront him.  
“You’re a bit young to be a reporter,” the man taunted. Eyeing the camera, he smiled wolfishly. “I’ve heard that the big Networks hired their heads of research out of the genius pool at ACS. Are they getting their reporters from there now, too?”

“Here you are with your chance to express yourself in a non-violent way and you’re wasting it trying to rile me,” Bryce remarked. “What’s the point?”

“I guess Edison Carter doesn’t consider me good enough to interview himself.” The Bureau Burner remarked, casually. “It’s really a disappointment to be interviewed by a cub whose legs aren’t even steady yet. If you are a legit reporter, shouldn’t you be behind a desk at this point?”

Bryce glared for a moment, then reigned in his emotions. He would not let this man make him lose control. He turned the camera on himself.

“This is Bryce Lynch coming to you live and direct on Network 23. I am here today with the infamous Bureau Burner who has lit up this city’s streets with several conflagrations over the past five weeks.” Turning the camera to the arsonist in question he continued...

“Tell me, what was it that made you choose fire as your method of communication?”

“Bryce,” Edison ordered as he ran up with his standard vidicam. “Get your ass back to Network 23! Now!”

“Edison! This is my report!” Bryce argued.

 

“You’re not qualified,” Edison argued back. “Get home! Now!”

Bryce stormed off to the helicopter, his eyes blazing with anger. 

“Bryce is on his way back,” Edison told Theora. “He’s not happy about it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bryce is very ticked off about being pulled from the Bureau Burner story!

-CHAPTER TWO-

Bryce slammed open the double doors leading into Network 23’s Control Room and stormed through them and purposefully over to Theora’s desk.

“Why was I pulled from the Bureau Burner story?” he demanded.

“Why were you pulled…” Murray asked, incredulously. “You had no business being out there in the first place! You are this Network’s Head of Research and Development. You are NOT a reporter!”

“Well, someone had to test the camera,” Bryce pointed out. “And I was in a very good position to…”

“You know damned well you could’ve made a video of our outdoor cafeteria and got the results you needed,” Murray told him. “You deliberately risked your life trying to get a story that you as a non-reporter had no business covering.”

“And tell Mr. Carter never to humiliate me like that again!” Bryce snapped at Murray.

“He was trying to keep you safe, not humiliate you.”

“He pulled my story out from under me while I was on the air!” Bryce pointed out.

“Edison’s had stories pulled out from under him, too… and he had a right to be covering them.”

Bryce stormed angrily toward the door.

“Get back here!” Murray hollered at him. “I haven’t finished speaking to you!”

“Well I have finished listening!” Bryce said, pausing for a moment at the open door before slamming it shut with himself on the opposite side and then storming to the lift and heading to his studio.

On the screen, Edison was finishing up with the Bureau Burner who was currently being taken into custody.

*****

“Don’t start,” Bryce snapped at Max as he slammed the door of his studio.

“Bryce…” Max began nonetheless.

“That man is insufferable!” Bryce complained.

“Ed-ed-Edison or Murray?” Max wanted to know.

“Both of them!”

Max would’ve raised an eyebrow if he’d been given any. As it was, he tilted his head in a querying manner.

“I was doing fine,” Bryce explained. “Until Carter showed up and spoiled everything. What right does he have to embarrass me like that? Telling me to go home like I’m five years old! On global television no less! If it had been Janie Crane, he’d have simply said he was taking over… no wait, he’d let her do the damned report! I remember him doing just that when she took on the White Brigade. But would he do me the same courtesy? Of course not! Damn him!”

“Lan- lan-language, Bryce!” Max warned. 

“Bryce,” Edison began as he entered the room.

“Who asked you to barge in here?” Bryce demanded.

“Look,” Edison said. “I’m sorry if you feel that I’ve embarrassed you,” Edison told him. “But you were in danger.”

“I was perfectly safe,” Bryce told him. “And conducting an interview.”

“An interview with a man who was perfectly capable of burning you alive if he chose to do so!” Edison pointed out.

“I doubt he would’ve,” Bryce retorted. “Every time he committed an act of arson, it was always when there would be nobody in those buildings.”

“A cornered animal will attack, Bryce,” Edison pointed out. “Even a normally docile one.”

Bryce appeared thoughtful for a moment.

“Look, Bryce,” Edison told him. “I just don’t want you to end up like Paddy.”

“You can’t keep me locked away for the rest of my life, Edison,” Bryce reminded him.

“No, I can’t,” Edison admitted. “Look, if you really want to try being a reporter for a while, I’ll talk to Murray and Cheviot about getting you some safe assignments. If those work out, who knows…”  
“Safe assignments…” Bryce sighed.

“Scumball games and such,” Edison explained.

“Well, I guess Scumball can be exciting sometimes,” Bryce decided. “But I don’t want to end up doing nothing but interviewing jocks all the time.”


	3. Chapter 3

-CHAPTER THREE-

“Are you mad, Edison?” Murray demanded. “I just told Bryce that he’s not a reporter, and now you’re telling him that we’re going to give him a chance to be one.”

“What could covering a few Scumball games hurt?” Edison asked. “He’s got some talent for the job, Murray. We can’t just keep him cooped up in his studio all the time. As much as we’d like to. He’s been outside a few times and he wants to stretch his wings a bit.”

“Well… okay. But I want you on site in case there’s trouble,” Murray insisted. “And just so you know, I don’t think Cheviot is going to like this. Bryce is our Head of Research and Development, not a reporter.”

“Let him have his fun,” Edison said. “I’ll be there to look after him. And it might bring in some teen ratings.”

“Our teenage viewers will already be watching the Scumball game,” Murray pointed out.

Bryce arrived in the Control Room a short time later. “I’m ready, Edison,” he announced.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Bryce,” Murray told him.

“What do you know of ideas?” Bryce shot back. “You haven’t had a good one in decades.”

“Bryce,” Edison warned, “you’re not helping your cause.”

“Sorry,” Bryce apologized reluctantly.

“I’m going to allow this,” Murray finally said. “Just this once. And only because Edison has agreed to chaperone you.”

“Chaperone,” Bryce groaned.

“I’ll be off camera,” Edison promised. “I will only take over if it becomes too much for you, or a danger should arise.”

“Fine,” Bryce grudgingly agreed. “Let’s go.”

“It’ll be the Hawks vs the Druids tonight,” Murray told them. “I want full coverage of the game followed by an interview with the winning team.”

“Got it!” Bryce called as he and Edison exited.

A block away from Network 23 they flagged down Rik.

“Hello, Edison,” the rickshaw driver called out. “I see the little one is coming along for the ride.”

“The little one?” Bryce asked, sounding mighty put out.

“Sounds like the kitten has claws,” Rik laughed.

“The kitten,” Edison told him, “is doing tonight’s report.”

“Cub, then,” Rik decided. “Where to?”

“Murray wants to start him off light,” Edison said. “So off to the Scumball arena.”

“Could get nasty,” Rik warned. “The Hawks just hired Jess Taylor. He’s supposed to be pretty aggressive.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bryce promised.

When they arrived at the arena, it was packed. The Druids and Hawks were in their respective garages. Each team was preparing to win the big game. 

Edison led Bryce to the reporter’s area.

“What’s a shrimp doing amidst the sharks?” A portly reporter asked.

“Whales you mean,” Bryce muttered sarcastically.

“Cub’s either got a sense of humour or one of courage,” another reporter, probably the first man’s colleague laughed.

“Let’s just see how he does,” a third suggested. “Edison Carter brought him in, so he must have some good qualities.”


	4. Chapter 4

-CHAPTER FOUR-

Bryce smoothed his clothes and fixed his hair. Then he nodded to Edison who turned the vidicam on him.

“This is Bryce Lynch coming to you live from the Fourth Annual Scumball Playoffs,” he began.

Edison smiled approvingly.

“Tonight’s game promises to be an exciting playoff with the Druids facing their arch-nemeses the Hawks. Both teams have shown great prowess during the past season, so we can certainly expect a very intense game tonight.”

Back at Network 23, Murray was not quite smiling with pride. Edison had been right about Bryce. The kid was apparently good at anything he put his mind to. 

“So, what do you think?” Theora asked.

“He’s okay,” Murray said, reluctantly. “But he needs a little polish.”

Back at the Scumball Arena, the game was getting underway.

“The Hawks have possession of the ball. Druids’ Midcar Driver Steve Adams has his work cut out for him as Hawks’ Striker Allan Wright makes his move in his modified 1989 Packer Muscle-car,” Bryce went on, describing the game as it unfolded before him and Edison who was now focusing the vidicam on the gameplay.

Edison listened to Bryce’s commentary, following the play of the game. Sometimes zooming in to follow a particular player. Then zooming out to follow the ball as it was pushed away by an intercepting vehicle.   
He was proud of his young friend.   
Edison himself had been only in high school when he had been Bryce’s age, with an eye on being a bowler for his favourite cricket team. It had been the war that had ended that dream, and had begun another. Deciding that the newscasters he’d listened to in his late teens were too cowardly to report the truth, he’d declared one day, to his roommate Vanna, that he was going to expose the truth no matter what the sponsors had to say about it.

Now it seemed that Bryce wanted to follow in his footsteps. It felt almost like having a kid brother. He wondered if this was how Theora felt about Shawn.

“Ouch! That was a nasty collision between the Striker car driven by Mark Mason and the Defensive car driven by Robin Dale!” Bryce announced as Edison went on filming.  
As the game went on, Ben Cheviot and the other Board Members were watching from the large screen above the board room table.

“Bryce seems to be doing rather well for his first official report,” Ashwell observed.

“Indeed,” Cheviot agreed. 

“Perhaps we should have Carter take him under his wing as an apprentice?” Edwards suggested.

“Let’s not get carried away,” Cheviot said. “We still need our Head of Research and Development.”


End file.
